Shadow Over Camelot
by The PanOpticon
Summary: The prophecy has been fulfilled. Camelot has fallen. Gwen, Leon and Gaius must escape Camelot and search for a way to restore what was lost. Meanwhile Merlin has waited painfully and practically given up hope for his King's return but destiny has a way of working things out. Events in this story are shared with another story written by the author "lossofmerlin". No slash.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Camelot has fallen. The inferno's blaze shone with crimson red as it consumed the steepled towers and crenulated walls of the city. The fire shown against the night sky and the billowing clouds of smoke filled the air blocking the stars. Behind the ashen smoke a nearly black moon shone feebly down on the dying city.

Great mobs of refugees fled. Outside the city they formed into long lines of solemn stone faced and weeping people, some carrying babes and others carrying whatever possessions they could manage to save from the fires. The lines funneled into check points along the roads. Enemy soldiers checked each refugee as they passed, looking for the former rulers of the once great kingdom.

Huddled among the masses were three darkly cloaked people. A tall man with a short beard, a woman with curly black hair and ebony skin, and white haired old man. They pulled their cloaks tight around their heads and turned away every time a soldier passed them in line.

"They're sure to find us out," whispered the beard man. "We should have ran cross-country, until we reached the king's forest."

"The minute we break from this crowd we'll look suspicious and then they most certainly will catch us. The silver haired man said.

"Oh what are we to do?' pleaded the woman.

"Don't worry," said the old man, "I've prepared something that will help conceal our true Identities." He pulled out a green glass bottle, a small label tied around the cork stopper read one word Wither.

"Well we better do something soon, the check point is just ahead," said the bearded man as he shuffled ahead with the crowd.

"Here, take a small drink of this. It should be enough until we pass the soldiers." The old man handed the potion to the woman, who took a sniff of it then plugged her nose and quickly raised it to her mouth, tipped it and just as quickly lowered it. Her face scrunched up, as she passed it to the bearded man.

The man tossed it back splashing the foul contents to the back of his throat. He chocked it down and then handed the bottle back to the old man who also took a drink and then pocketed the bottle. They were only a few meters from a dozen soldiers who were inspecting the passing crowd.

"Just stay calm," the old man said, "no matter what, don't draw undue attention to yourself."

They approached the solder who had been eagerly searching the previous group of refugees. Throwing back hoods, pulling off rings and valuables they deemed a threat and generally terrorizing the former residents of Camelot.

The minute the soldiers focused their attention on the group of three they slowed. Before they'd barked orders and laughed at the cowering peasants but now their words seemed slowed and slurred. The bearded man couldn't understand what the soldiers were saying. The soldiers lazily patted their cloaks as if in a drunken stupor, not even removing the hoods they just waved them on. The three didn't waste time and hurried on past the soldiers and into the night.

* * *

Later, gathered around a campfire, the three sat and collected themselves. Noticing the woman shivering the bearded man added his own cloak around her shoulders.

"My Lady," he said, "we've seen quite enough horrors today, but I promise you I will get you to safety."

"And where is safety, Leon?" the woman looked at him. "All of Avalon hates us. We broke our own treaty by allowing magic back into our borders and now they all hate us."

"Your Majesty, we must leave Avalon and head to outer kingdoms," The old man said.

"And I will protect you," Leon repeated.

Gwen turned to the old man. "What does it matter Gaius? Camelot is no more. The Pendragons have all fallen and there is no heir to continue the throne."

"You are what remains of Camelot," Gaius said. "As long as you live-"

"I died a long time ago when my husband," she sobbed, "When Arthur died." She began to cry.

"Gwen," the old man said putting an arm around her shaking shoulders. "Camelot, Arthur and the kingdom live through you."

"This is what they tell me, but I failed. I failed them all," Gwen continued to sob.

"You haven't failed. You only fail if you give up," Gaius replied. "What would Arthur say at a moment like this?"

Gwen stopped crying and dried her tears with the sleeve of her cloak. Then straightening her back she said, "I must- we must all be strong."

"Yes we must," Gaius said with a smile.

Leon stood off toward the hill that sheltered them from the wind. He waved Gaius over to him. The old man patted Gwen's hand, rose and then followed Leon to the top the hill that over looked the land. They could see out for miles. In the distance they could see the red glow of their former home, still burning.

"You must be exhausted," Gaius said. "You were on the frontlines this morning, you haven't taken time to rest. I have a potion that will help restore you." Gaius fished through the pockets of his cloak and handed an azure colored bottle to Leon.

Leon took it and thanked Gaius. He tucked it into a pouch on his belt.

"You're right Gaius, my arms and legs have never felt so tired and heavy, Leon said. "This morning I stood on the walls of Camelot and looked at the vastness of the enemy. Like a churning horde of black ants they came from all directions. Even so, I truly believed then that we could beat them. We always had before. I kept expecting it. That unexpected thing that would suddenly happen and save us all. But it didn't."

"You realize that the unexpected thing was always Merlin's work?" Gaius asked.

"I suspected it," Leon hung his head. "And yet despite his long absence I thought that maybe it was Camelot itself, the ideals and the legacy of valor that would somehow turn the tide of battle."

"All legacies must fade," Gaius said.

"No, not Camelot," Leon said. "People will always remember her."

"Perhaps," Gaius said.

"I must confess. I thought he'd come back," Leon said with a pained laugh and a smile.

"Me too," Gaius said and put his hand on the shoulder of the knight.

The two sat in silence, just watching the billowing smoke in the distance that rose up like an inverted volcano. Owl hooted and a chilled night breeze pushed over the hilltop causing Gaius to wrap his arms around his cloak, pulling it tightly closed.

"They will come for her," Leon said.

"Yes," Gaius said, "we must be ready for them." Gaius walked back to Gwen.

Leon stayed and looked out at the distant remains of his former home. He tasted ash in his mouth. He thought of all the time he had spent there. His service to Uther, to his son Arthur, and then to Queen Guinevere. He felt proud of every single moment. Before leaving the hill he said a prayer that one day he would return and help to restore everything that Camelot once was.

"Long live Camelot," he said and walked down the dark slope to an uncertain future.

* * *

 _Author's note: This story is being written in conjunction with the author lossofmerlin so be sure to check out her part of the story too._


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sunrise crept through the upper story window, right into Leon's face. The knight rose, mind still foggy and body still sore because of their long trek from Camelot. Marching for miles through the night, trying to get as much distance from the blood and ruin of the previous night, Gwen had finally insisted that they stop at an isolated inn on the roadside.

It had been crowded, full of refugees, and only a large bag of gold coins had allowed Leon, Gwen and Gaius the private room that they had slept in. Leon hadn't liked stopping in the crowded inn, hadn't wanted to flash so much money to the inn keeper surely drawing unwanted attention.

Leon fasten his sword belt to his waist and straighten his clothes. Creeping by the still sleeping others, not wanting to disturb them, he headed out of the room and down the stairs.

Half-awake he sauntered up to the bar and seeing no one behind it he looked around for someone from whom he could purchase breakfast and some provisions for the road ahead. The main room of the inn was completely empty and still. Motes of dust hung in the beams of light that streamed in through the eastern windows. Used cups and bowls from the night before lay toppled and abandoned on the floor and tables.

About to call for the barkeep Leon stopped himself. Ducking he approached a window and peered out. He saw a line of mounted soldiers. Their tabards showed the emblem of Mercia. Cursing Leon scuttled away from the window and then sprang up the steps two at a time.

"Milady, we have trouble," Leon said opening the door.

Gwen was sitting up in bed and Gaius sat on the edge of the bed next to her. She looked pale and her hands held her stomach.

"Gaius, is something wrong?" Leon asked. He almost forgot the battalion of armed men waiting for them outside.

"It's nothing," Gwen said, "I'm just not feeling very well this morning."

Leon didn't quite believe her. He heart was loyal but in the back of his mind he knew that they wouldn't have been in this mess if Gwen hadn't insisted that they spend the night at an inn rather than camping outside in the woods as he had wanted to.

"Leon, what is the trouble?" asked Gaius.

"Mercian soldiers, they're surrounding us. We have to find a way out of here, right now." Leon said as he started to gather supplies.

Gaius walked to the window. He was about to look out when Leon let out a warning shout just as an arrow flew through the pane and barely grazing his white hair. The black fletched arrow sunk into the wood of the opposite wall with a sickening thud. Gaius dropped to the ground and crawled over to where Leon and Gwen knelt.

"Is there another way out?" Gwen asked.

"I don't know," Lean said. "Unless the innkeeper as some sort secret passageway out of his inn then it's the front door."

"We can't be sure that a secret passage exists," Gaius said. "And even if it did, it could take hours to find it."

"What about the roof?" Leon asked.

"What about it?" Gwen replied.

"We can pull ourselves through the thatch," Leon started to say until Gwen interrupted.

"And then they'd shoot us dead with arrows," Gwen said waving at the shaft sticking out of the wall.

"No," Leon continued. "We wait until they're storming the building and before they reach the second story we hop out and run away to safety."

"Then we hop on broken legs," Gwen said. "Do you really think that Gaius could make a jump from two and a half stories?"

Frustrated and at a loss for words Leon's mouth opened and closed. He looked at Gaius for support but he only shrugged a reply.

"You're full of ideas, aren't you? Come on then, I'll have to get us out of this mess," Gwen said.

She grabbed her pack and walked out of the room. Leon and Gaius quickly scrambled to collect their things and follow her downstairs.

They were in the main room when suddenly the front door burst open and a dozen men flooded into the room brandishing swords at them. They all wore mail and the traditional Mercian bright blue tabard with the silver tower emblazoned on the front. Leon had his sword out in a flash and was immediately in front of Gwen and Gaius, ready for battle.

"Surrender," cried a voice from behind the azure clad warriors. The men parted to let a knight wearing a plumed helmet step before Leon. He removed his helmet revealing a hawkeyed man with a hooked nose and a cruel scar across his cheek. "I am Kelgore, captain to Lord Bayard; surrender and no one gets hurt."

"You have a lot of nerve, you and your Lord Bayard," Gwen spat. "You and the other five kingdoms of Avalon have ruthlessly attacked us with no justification."

"No justification?" Kelgore scowled. "It was you who broke the treaty. You who allowed magic to openly infect the land. The treaty since Uther Pendragon has always included the express banning of all magic. But you, you commoner, you illegitimate pretender to the throne have broken that treaty when you legalized the practice of magic."

"I am the queen, by sacred and lawful marriage I am the rightful ruler of Camelot and I say that those with magic have too long unjustly suffered under a narrow-minded, bigoted and oppressive law. Those who practice magic should be accepted and not hunted," Gwen said.

There were murmurings and shouts of 'heresy' from the crowd.

"Clearly you are unfit to rule," Kelgore said. "The power and authority of the crown has gone to your head. Now you can either come with us to Lord Bayard's where you will renounce the throne abdicating it to his majesty Lord Bayard; or we shall have to remove that very pretty and very vain head of yours." He waved the point of his sword toward her.

Leon parried the blade. Beating it down with a clang and causing the surrounding men to lung forward in defense.

"Wait," Gwen shouted. "Do not attack. If you want to live put down your swords and let us leave this place right now."

Leon looked back at her with a furrowed brow that asked- what are you doing?

Her eyes spoke the answer, a desperate last minute bluff.

"And why should we?" Kelgore asked.

When Gwen didn't immediately speak Leon answered. "Because-," he paused, racking his brain for an answer, "because we have one of the most powerful magicians in all the land here with us. Gaius, who survived the great purge and now will not hesitate to burn you all to cinders with but a word from his sorcerous lips."

No one moved at first, but doubling down on the bluff Leon sheathed his sword and turned around to face Gaius. He stretched his arms out as if presenting the old man in heraldic grandeur. Gaius looked at him with a tilted head and cocked one eyebrow. Leon nodded his head frantically, encouraging him to play along.

"Oh yes," Gaius said in an over-dramatic tone. "You shall all burn. Like my dead brothers and sisters burned in the great purge."

Gaius made threatening and weird gestures with his hands. Leon furrowed his brow, wordlessly saying "too much." The old man pulled back on the performance a little. Regardless the crowd of men stepped back as Leon, Gaius and Leon stepped forward. Even Kelgore backed away, uncertain of what Gaius was capable of. The three walked out the door and down the path in a calm and determined stride. No one touched them.

Kelgore and his men watched as the three disappeared behind a copse of trees.

"So Gaius has turned back to the dark arts," Kelgore said to his lieutenant. "Have them followed and contact the High Constable. We shall have need of a witch hunter."

* * *

 _Author's note: This is an ongoing story, being written in conjunction with the author lossofmerlin so be sure to check out her part of the story too._


	3. Chapter 3

Capture 3

The three of them, Leon, Gaius and Gwen sat among the underbrush of the forest. Through the tall grass and brambles that masked their location they watched the road as Bayard's spies ran past. They waited until what appeared to be the last one ran by and then waited two more hours just to be sure. Then Leon rose and secured his pack. The others followed suit.

Leon started walking on the road back toward the inn.

"Hey, that's where we came from," Gwen said, "Kelgore and all his men are back there."

Irritated Leon turned around. "Of course, they think we're headed south, so we head north, we go around the inn and then head east."

"East is Mercia, Lord Bayard's territory!" Gwen said.

"I know," Leon said.

"Leon," Gaius said, "You are a skilled leader. But I really must question this course of action. Where exactly are you taking us?"

"We're going through Mercia till we reach the coast, then we follow the coast north till we reach Deira," Leon said.

"Deira is the neighbor of Mercia," Gaius said, "They have had little contact with Camelot and we can assume they have a treaty with Bayard. If they find us then they will surely turn us over."

"Deira was one of the few banners that I did not see at the gates of Camelot," Leon said, "The people of Deira are a private people. Their knights rarely go to tournaments much less war. They will not be looking for us and Bayard will not think to look for us in his neighbor's backyard."

"But how do we travel through Mercia without being caught?" Gwen asked.

"They are not going to send patrols looking for us through their own territory," Leon said.

"But there will be patrols," Gaius reminded him.

Leon looked frustrated. "Then we keep off the roads."

Gaius and Gwen looked at each other gravely. They knew that this would make the journey harder, forging through the untamed wilderness.

"If someone has a better idea then I'm all ears," Leon said and then when no one answered he continued. "We can't be stopping at inns anymore your majesty. We can't seek asylum from any kingdom because we don't know who is friend and who is foe. We have to lay low for now until the dust settles, until they think Camelot is finished. Then their guard will be down and then we can gather our forces and restore Camelot from the ashes, just like the Phoenix." Leon was breathing heavy, his face red with emotion.

Gaius started to say something but Gwen interrupted. "Leon, you are a true friend to Camelot, a brave and loyal knight. I remember when we were children and my mother used to serve at your family's estate. Oh, how much we've seen together. I will follow your lead, no matter how hard the road."

"Gwen," Gaius looked sharply at her.

"No Gaius," Gwen looked calmly back at him. "We will take the wilderness road."

Gaius shook his head but said nothing.

They headed back toward the inn and after scouting the area found that Kelgore and his men we gone. Since the occupants of the inn had not returned yet they quickly searched the premises and secured a small slightly rusted hand axe, twenty feet of knotted and ratty rope, three loaves of bread and two dried fishes. It was all the provisions they had. Then they stepped off the road and headed east across the open terrain toward Mercia.

They traveled through the tall clinging grass, fighting for each foot step until they reached a massive forest that stretched north and south as far as they could see. It was dense and little grew under the canopy of broad elm leaves. It was getting dark so Leon suggested they set up camp. They were to make no fire tonight which could give their position away. They gathered together leaves and branches and made a small shelter for the three of them, it was then that they discovered that the fish and bread were rotten and unfit to eat. With stomachs rumbling they slept a fitful and uneasily night.

In the morning they broke camp. Leon collected his bearings and then took the lead. The forest gradually thinned which allowed the briars and bushes which now impeded their progress. Leon's arm became very sore as he used his sword to cut and clear a path for them. Even with the sword the thorns seemed to reach out, snagging and clinging to their clothes. Before long their cloaks were in tatters.

When they stopped to rest Leon noticed Gaius picked among the brambles.

"Gaius what have you got there?" Leon asked.

"Sageberries Leon," Gaius turned around holding a handful of round light green berries. Gaius placed one in his mouth and gave another to Leon. Leon brought it to his mouth and immediately smelt the musky earthen aroma of it. He hesitated at first but his stomach pulled stronger than his taste buds. He bit into it. The tart skin gave way to a thin layer of flesh which surrounded a seed that took up most of the inside of the berry; it was soft like a nut but moist and chewy. The unexpected meaty texture of it and the taste of eating something slightly rotten caused Leon to gag at first but he choked it down. It sat in the pit of his stomach, leaving a filling sensation but a horrible after taste.

"Sageberries are a delicacy in some places, very nutritious and not too unpleasant once you get past the taste." Gaius smiled as he placed another in his mouth. He handed a few more to Leon who took them and placed another in his mouth. Leon slipped the rest into a pouch on his belt.

"What is that horrible smell?" Gwen asked as she approached them.

"Sageberries, my dear," Gaius said stretching a hand of them out to her. Gwen didn't reach for them.

"You're both eating those?" There was a slightly horrified look on her face.

"Milady, we have no other options for food right now," Leon said. "We should eat these now to keep up our strength."

"I agreed with Leon," Gaius added, "You really need to keep your strength up."

"No, it's impossible," Gwen said. "Just the smell makes me want to vomit."

"Come on, you have to eat something," Leon said.

"Then go hunt down a rabbit or something," Gwen said stepping away from them. "I will never put one of those rancid abominations in my mouth."

Leon and Gaius looked at each other, shrugged and began eating them. Gwen frowned in disgust and backed away several feet where she sat on fallen log. Leon and Gaius ate until they were both full. Then set about collecting more berries. They each filled a pouch with the noxious little green orbs.

They continued their journey through the wilderness. Leon used the light of the sun to guide them toward their destination. Hacking at the overgrowth he looked over his shoulder and watched Gwen, head down and holding her stomach. "We don't have time to hunt" he thought, "but she has to eat something. She's just being stubborn." By the time they heard the sound of rushing water, Gwen was falling behind and stumbling.

The river was fast, black in the depths below and white above where it swirled around jagged rocks. They followed it north hoping for a shallow place where they could ford the river. They walked along the river bank, stepping over husks of broken and decaying trees, slipping on wet and rounded stones. They travelled for hours without finding a passable portion of the river.

Finally they came across a massive tree that had fallen across the river. The part of the tree that lay on their side was the base, a tangle of twisted roots blacken from the rich soil that had once held the mighty tree upright. The uprooted the tree lay across the river at an incline to where it rested on a steep embankment on the other side of the river. It rose up twenty feet over the angry water below.

"We have to cross here," Leon said. Gwen and Gaius looked incredulously at him. "Slowly and all together. Look, we'll tie this rope around our waists." Leon pulled the old rope out of his pack.

The others stood dumbfounded.

"Or we can keep going up the river in hopes of something better. But I think this is the best chance we've got."

Leon tied the rope around himself first and held the loose end out to Gaius who obediently looped the rope around himself and passed it on to Gwen. She raised her hands as if in surrender and Leon tied the last part of the rope around her. Once all three was snugly fixed with the rope they started up the fallen tree.

Leon led the way. He climbed up the base of the uprooted tree, using the dry gnarled roots as hand and foot holds. Once on top he help the others to climb, pointing out hand holds and pulling them the last of the way. Then they started up the tree. They walked at first, slowly one foot in front of the other, but the log swayed so soon they were on their hands and knees. The moss was soft beneath their fingers, green on top and brown where the roots dug into the slowly decaying wood. They could hear the deafening sound of the raging water beneath them.

Three fourths of the way across the log they crawled easily along when suddenly the whole log tilted a quarter turn to the right. Leon scurried to the left and clung to the rotated log. This part of the log was smooth and had no surface to grip. He felt a tug on the rope around his waist and his attention was suddenly turned from self-preservation to what was happening to his companions.

Gaius was still clinging awkwardly to the mossy side, half his body hung over the abyss. Gaius's face was red as he strained. That's when Leon saw directly below him Gwen swing helplessly through the air. Her arms and legs flailed as she hung suspended above the jagged rocks and raging waters below.

Leon reached back and grabbed Gaius's hand. He pulled with all his strength until he felt the old man slide toward him. Leon had to catch himself because him almost over-extended his balance and fell off the other side. That's when the log rotated back to its original position and Leon felt himself plunge into the openness of space.

It was as if the world moved in slow motion. He felt himself weightless, his stomach rising in his abdomen. Then he felt the violent jerk that stopped his descent, all the weight of his body wrenched against the rope around his waist. He heard a sharp cry of pain above him and the next thing he felt was his body slamming against another body that swung suspended in the air. Gwen's arm hit him in the face.

He grabbed ahold of her which stopped their swinging and seemed to calm the queen. She stopped frantically swinging her arms and clung to him instead with a vicelike grip

"Gaius!" he shouted. He heard a feeble response. Leon knew that Gaius now bore the weight of both of them across his waist as they hung suspended over each side. "Hang in there Gaius, I'm going to help Gwen up so I need you to try to balance carefully as she comes up."

"Gwen," Leon spoke, "I need you to climb your rope; you can push off of me." Leon placed his hands under her foot to give her purchase.

Gwen pulled at the rope but didn't move.

"I can't Leon," she sobbed, "I'm just too tired."

"Come on, you have to try." They hung there for what seemed like an eternity.

"I'm sorry, I can't." Gwen reached into a pouch and pulled a small knife out. "You need to save yourself."

She touched it to the rope which caused a few of the worn threads to split before Leon reached up and pulled the knife out of her hands.

"No!" he shouted and dropped the knife into the torrent of white foam below.

Then Leon grabbed his own rope and began to pull himself up with just his arms. He pulled with all the fervor and desperation of one last effort to save himself and his sovereign. He felt his fingers sink into the mossy side of the log and he pulled again lifting himself up onto the top of the log.

Gaius was lying flat with his stomach against the log, his arms and legs stretched out in a great embrace of the tree. Leon knelt one knee against Gaius's back to brace against any change in balance. He began pulling on the part of the rope that hung down to attached to Gwen. Leon's arms burned as he pulled her slowly up. After using what seemed to be the last of his energy he pulled her up and they all lay in a heap on top of Gaius who now just moaned softly.

Then, not feeling completely safe they all three lay belly down on the tree and slowly snaked themselves across the mossy top of the tree. Once on the other side of the river they slide off the log and onto the soft turf where they all lay motionless on their backs, the blue sky looked down on them.

It was Gwen who got up first. She walked about twenty feet away and then with legs shaking she collapsed. Leon watched this. Then, with a sudden fire in his brain, he stood up and marched over to her. He knelt on top of her. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a fistful of sageberries, most of which were smashed into paste, and started to shove the mush into her mouth.

"Your highness you must eat and you must keep up your strength," he said behind gritted teeth.

Gwen tried helplessly to push him off. She protested, gagged and sobbed but he held her tight. She struggled as the mess of berries smeared across her face and into her mouth. She finally swallowed the pungent concoction, that's when she felt him release her. She looked up and saw him standing above her, one hand coated in sageberries and the other covered his face. He was shaking.

He fell to his knees and in a hushed tone said, "Gwen, I can't make you safe if you don't help me to do it. I can't- I- We almost died out there and-."

Gwen got to her knees and crawled to him. She scooped a handful of the paste from his pouch. She closed her eyes and ate it. The discomfort was clear in her face but afterward she opened her eyes and smiled at Leon.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have."

Gwen looked at him with a scowl. "You did what you had to. You saved us. Now if you'll excuse me I think I'm going to be sick."

* * *

Author's note: I wanted to write a more man-versus-nature kind of a story with this one. Don't know how it turned out but I've got a lot more ideas to try out in the further adventures of Leon, Gwen and Gaius. Be sure to check out lossofmerlin's story of the same name (it's running concurrent to mine) to find out what's happening to Percival, Merlin, Aithusa and more of your favorites.


End file.
